Mrs. Mary Harrison Lee
(1939  2016)

As remembered by Gene Lee
September 29, 2016

We are saddened by the news of the passing and homegoing celebration for
Freedom Rider and Tougaloo alum, Mrs. Mary Harrison Lee.

Mrs. Mary Harrison Lee was born on July 22, 1939 in Manila, Philippines to Ida
Lloren. She was adopted at an early age by Reverend and Mrs. Ernest Harrison.
Her adopted father was a chaplain in the army giving her the opportunity to
live in many places, such as Captieux, France, Erlangen, Germany, Fort Riley,
Kansas, and San Antonio, Texas.

Mary graduated from Rochefort American High School in France. Upon returning
to the United States, she visited Tougaloo College and immediately fell in
love with its quaintness, intimacy, the hanging moss from the oak trees, and
the family atmosphere. She was convinced that this was where she wanted to
spend her next four years and enrolled in the upcoming semester.

She became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on December 13,
1959. She felt the plight of the Civil Rights movement and volunteered to
become a Freedom Rider. Mary helped lead a "sit-in" in the Trailways bus
station in downtown Jackson, where she was arrested and jailed. She did not
waiver from the overall mission to gain equality for African Americans. As a
result, on June 23, 1961, Freedom Riders from Tougaloo College set a precedent
and became the first residents of Mississippi to lead in the movement.

While at Tougaloo College, Mary met and fell in love with Gene Lee. They were
married in 1963. She and Gene were natural educators. Mary dedicated her
working career educating youth. She began as a teacher in Picayune,
Mississippi; later moving to Kansas City, Missouri. In 1973, she relocated
with her family to Germany and taught within the Department of Defense
American School system. In 1981, Mary and her family returned to the United
States and settled in Jackson, Mississippi, where she retired in 2001 as
Principal from Boyd Elementary School.

Today, October 1, 2016 Mary Magdalene Harrison Lee a dear friend, a freedom
rider, a foot soldier for peace and justice, and my hero, was laid to rest.
Mary was married to Tougaloo College classmate Gene Lee.

I will miss Mary deeply because she stood with me as we made that high-level
commitment to nonviolent direct action. Mary was a classmate at Tougaloo
College. She was the mother of three beautiful children, Geno, Daryl, and
Angel.

Please allow me to express to you just one of Mary's commitment to humankind:
It was in June, 1961 when a real revolution was taking place within the
confines of Tougaloo College, truly an oases within a sea of hate. It was in a
dormitory room on the campus of this great Mississippi institution where a
group of students and a representative of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee, SNCC, plotted the Freedom Ride participation of the first Tougaloo
College Students.

It was known that all of the Freedom Riders had come from states other than
Mississippi. Indeed, the Mississippi power structure could not let us forget
this fact. A speech was given by then governor Ross Barnett stating, "Our
negras are satisfied with the way things are in Mississippi". Politicians and
the Mississippi mainstream news media alike were expounding the idea that all
black and white Mississippi maintained a dislike for the freedom riders. And
that the Freedom Riders were a group of outside agitators.

Mary's disappointment was compounded by the fact that the Jackson
Advocate, the largest and most read black-owned Jackson newspaper lent
credence to Governor Barnett's black satisfaction idea. Tougaloo College
students, especially those in that dormitory room knew that was not a true
picture and we intended to prove it. We decided to become the "Mississippi
Freedom Riders". Mary wanted to make a difference. She wanted to fight
injustice wherever she found it.

We both believed, that based on Mississippi's prison reputation the freedom
riders who were already in Jackson, Mississippi jails were going to be
subjected to abuse and death if we, as Mississippi residents, did not get into
the jails with them.

SNCC wanted four riders to participate on June 21, 1961 however one of our
intended riders abruptly changed his mind about participating. Without a
moment of hesitation Mary Magdalene Harrison Lee stood and announced "I'll
go". This small group of Mississippians, Mary and I, Elnora and Joseph,
(sister and brother from nearby Raymond, Mississippi) was about to blow the
lid off that boiling pot.

One June 21, 1961 Mary and I awaken early. They were first in line for
breakfast that morning. The more than three score of students in line with
them had no idea that the two students sitting alone at a table in the corner
was about to make history.

Later that morning, through an arraignment by SNCC the Mother of the Jackson
Civil Rights Movement, Mrs. A.M.E. Logan arrived on campus driving her already
famous station wagon. One by one Elnora, Mary, Joseph, and I placed our
luggage in the rear seat of the automobile and took our place inside to await
the forever time-consuming ride into an unknown venture. We hardly spoke one
word. Many words of comfort were provided by Mrs. Logan. Due to high anxiety
those words of comfort were barely audible.

As we left the campus Mary turned to get a look, (final?) at that grand symbol
of the college, the Gate.

Mrs. Logan drove us to within one block of the Trailways Bus Station in
Jackson, Mississippi. We retrieved our luggage and waved goodbye to our hero.
The block away from the station contained only two or three policemen. There
were many more present as we reached the front door of the station. As we
entered Mary and I quickly noted that there were men and policemen who had
lined the wall of the station, all smiling. Why were they smiling?

We were arrested of course and not allowed to board the bus to New Orleans,
LA.

That was Mary Magdalene Harrison Lee's introduction to that great protest
known as the freedom riders. Rest in peace Mary. The world is truly a better
place because of you.